POLICE hunting the killer of mum-of-three Jean Campbell are DNA testing hundreds of men and women, we can reveal today.

Jean was found dead in a park fewer than 100 yards from her home after she was last seen walking her German Shepherd Kai.

The 53-year-old was caught on CCTV in Bellrock Street in the east end of Glasgow, where she lived with husband John, on the evening of Friday, December 13.

John, 55, found her body at 7.40am the next day in nearby Cranhill Park.

He had gone looking for his wife after returning from a night shift and discovering she was not at home.

The Sunday Mail can reveal that local residents aged 12 and up are being asked to give mouth swabs to police for testing.

To date, hundreds have taken place and more than 500 could be carried out.

Police are working from lists of names supplied by housing associations, charities and homeless units

The tests are voluntary but police can obtain court orders to force a person to be swabbed if there are reasonable grounds.

The testing is centred on 500 homes in Cranhill.

The men leading the hunt are Detective Chief Inspector Colin Carey and his deputy Detective Inspector Stephen Healy.

DCI Carey spoke to the Sunday Mail on Friday afternoon about the investigation.

The two detectives took us to the spot in Cranhill Park where Jean’s body was found as they appealed for the public’s help to catch her killer.

Carey said: “There are around 500 houses in the area so we are taking swabs from as many residents as possible.

“Everyone has been very co-operative and there have been no refusals because they see the need to do something like this.

“We have also brought in officers from Major Investigation Teams in Edinburgh and Dundee to help.

“We are pleased with the public response so far but need more people to come forward with information. We think Mrs Campbell would have put up a fight and may have injured her attacker.

“As a result, the person responsible may have sustained minor injuries to their face or body and may be acting out of character.

“The victim was found in a disused children’s play area where the ground is very muddy and soft.

“There is a possibility their clothing may be dirty or stained with muck or grass.

“I would ask if anyone who has any suspicions regarding friends, neighbours or family members who came home late on the Friday or early Saturday morning with unexplained injuries or dirt-stained clothing to contact the police.

“We do not have a motive as yet, though we are looking at a number of different possibilities.”

Jean was last seen taking Kai to Cranhill Park around 10.30pm. But DCI Carey revealed that she had already taken the dog out about 40 minutes earlier, then returned home at 10pm.

He said: “We don’t know why she took the dog back out again so soon.

“By this time she was wearing pyjama bottoms under a black three-quarter-length jacket with a hood.

“She normally went to bed around 11pm. The fact she was dressed the way she was suggest that she did not feel in any danger.

”Again, I would appeal to anyone who saw her at this time to come forward.”

Jean spoke to her husband at around 5.50pm on the Friday before he left for his night job as a production manager.

He went out around 6pm for a 7pm start. The couple never spoke again.

John got home shortly before 7.30am to discover both his wife and their dog was missing. He then headed to the park where he found her body.

The dog was trapped inside the play area because the gate was closed.

After John found his wife, he ran out into Bellrock Street and asked a taxi driver to call an ambulance.

A short time later, police sealed off the park and launched a murder hunt.

Hugh Devlin, 52, whose tower block home overlooks Cranhill Park, is one of the hundreds who have agreed to be DNA tested.

He said: “When the police called at my house I had no objections. One of my neighbours who is 70 was also tested.”

Hugh said he saw a hooded figure hanging about the park at 1.45am on Saturday. He added: “I told the police I could not make out if it was a man or a woman.

“The person crossed Bellrock Street into the park and after a few minutes seemed to walk towards the spot where the victim was later found.

“After that, the person disappeared in the darkness. I never saw them again.”

Police have put up posters in Cranhill appealing for information in both English and Polish – because of the big Polish community.

There are also large numbers of migrants from Ukraine and Turkey in the area.

Crimestoppers are offering a reward of up to £5000 for anyone who can supply crucial evidence.

DCI Carey said: “We have a large team of committed and experienced detectives.

“They are among the best in Scotland and are working round the clock to find the person responsible for Jean’s murder.”